Great Big Taters

Our new CD is here - a LIVE recording featuring lots of dance-length tracks, perfect for listening or dancing! To order, send $17 to Hilarie Burhans, 95 Morris Ave, Athens OH 45701. Or order by phone with credit card: 740-707-2167.

One of the most difficult things to do in a recording studio is to avoid playing too carefully. It’s pretty hard to be spontaneous and improvisational when, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking, “this is for posterity, so don’t screw up!” Yet recording in a studio gives one lots of control over the finished product, so it’s the way most records are made these days. This recording, though, was made during one live performance - a contradance with caller Charley Harvey at River Falls Lodge near Greenville, SC in March of 2011. We don’t even recall knowing that sound guys extraordinaire Weogo Reed and Mike Compton were recording us, and if we did, it certainly wasn’t on our minds during the dance.

When we recently got around to listening to the stuff they had captured, we were delighted. We had only played together a handful of times when this recording was made, but there were lots of magical moments of musical conversation. It’s serendipitous that Bernie owns a fine recording studio and was able to both prune it a bit so it would fit on a CD and do the mastering. The end product, we think, sounds just like the Taters! We hope you’ll enjoy sharing this joyful experience with us.